Non-ferrous metals (Russian market)

Main article: Metallurgy in Russia

Non-ferrous metals: copper, aluminum, tin, nickel, zinc.

Copper producers

Main article: Copper mining and production

For 2022, the main copper producers in Russia are:

• Norilsk Nickel,
• UMMC,
• Russian Copper Company.

All three companies, as well as world leaders, adhere to a strategy of vertical integration, that is, they control the entire supply chain from ore mining to the production of intermediate copper products (such as copper rod).

2024

Platinum production in Russia rose to 677 thousand ounces

Platinum production in Russia has been growing for the third year in a row, and this trend will continue in 2025. According to the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC), production in the country in 2025 will reach 686 thousand ounces, which is 9 thousand ounces (1%) more than in 2024. This became known on March 10, 2025. Analysts note that the Russian platinum industry is showing a stable increase in production volumes.

According to Vedomosti, Russia will become the only country among large platinum producers that will increase the production of this precious metal in 2025. While global platinum production will decline by 5% to 5.5 million ounces, Russian companies will continue to increase volumes.

Positive dynamics in the domestic platinum industry has been observed since 2022, when production amounted to 663 thousand ounces. In 2023, this figure rose to 674 thousand ounces, and in 2024 reached 677 thousand ounces. Thus, Russia is gradually recovering production volumes after a sharp drop in 2021, when only 652 thousand ounces were produced - the minimum value over the past decade.

The main producer of platinum in Russia is Norilsk Nickel, which accounts for more than 90% of the production of this precious metal in the country. In 2024, Norilsk Nickel increased platinum production by 0.5% to 667 thousand ounces. The company's 2025 release plan ranges from 662,000 to 675,000 ounces.

It is expected that in 2025 another player will join the production of platinum in Russia - the Russian Platinum company plans to begin development of the Montenegrin deposit. The launch of the project was postponed by a year due to problems with the purchase of Western equipment after the departure of foreign suppliers. According to Musa Bazhaev, co-owner of Russian Platinum, the company had to switch to the products of Uralmash, BelAZ and other manufacturers from friendly countries.^[1]

Reduction of titanium production by 17% to 73.7 thousand tons

By the end of 2024, titanium production in Russia decreased by 17%. Such data are given in the materials of Rosstat, published in February 2025.

Rosstat did not disclose the absolute indicator, but it is known that in 2023 the volume of titanium production in the Russian Federation exceeded 63 thousand tons. Thus, in 2024, Russian companies could produce about 73.7 thousand tons of metal.

From the statistics of the department it also follows that the release of zinc in Russia in 2024 decreased by 13.7%, magnesium - by 13.1%. At the same time, cobalt production increased by 5.1%, lead - by 0.3%.

The world's largest producer of full-cycle titanium from raw materials to products is the Russian corporation VSMPO-Avisma. The main production facilities of VSMPO-Avisma are located in Verkhnyaya Salda, Sverdlovsk Region. They allow the production of about 72,000 tons of titanium ingots per year. The largest titanium deposits in the Russian Federation by 2024 are presented below:

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Фото: TAdviser

In early February 2025, independent industrial expert Leonid Khazanov said that in 2024, titanium consumption in Russia increased by 15% and reached about 15 thousand tons. According to him, the growth in demand was due to the expansion of the production of domestic products and equipment, in which this metal is used in the form of various parts and components. The departure of foreign suppliers and the state's import substitution policy also played an important role in this process.

Vedomosti draws attention to the fact that Russia has significantly increased the supply of titanium to China. In 2024, they grew by 44% compared to the previous year and amounted to 3.7 thousand tons, according to data from the Main Customs Administration of China. In monetary terms, exports amounted to about $89 million, which is 1.4% less than in 2023. The increase in supplies is attributed to growing demand for titanium from high-tech industries in China such as mechanical engineering, aerospace and chemicals. Titanium strips, bars, profiles, wire, plastics, tape and foil are of greatest interest in China, the publication notes.^[2]

Growth in aluminum production by 5.3% to 211 million tons

Primary aluminum production Russia in 2024 increased by 5.7% compared to 2023. This is evidenced by data Rosstat that was released in February 2025.

In 2024, about 211 million tons of aluminum structures and parts were produced in Russia, which is 2% more than a year earlier. The production of ferrous metal structures and parts increased by 0.8%, to 8.3 million tons.

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Фото: Freepik

The main driver of growth in aluminum production in Russia is domestic consumption. At the same time, the supply of products abroad is reduced. Thus, the plants of the Rusal company for the period from January to September 2024 reduced aluminum exports by 4% compared to the same period in 2023, to the level of 2.19 million tons.

In 2024, the US and UK imposed a ban on imports of aluminum, copper and nickel from Russia produced after that date. The London Metal Exchange (LME), the world's largest metal trading platform, has stopped accepting new batches of Russian metals. By April 2024, about 91% of the aluminum reserves in LME warehouses were Russian metal - 311 thousand tons out of 400 thousand tons.

The Russian Aluminum Association noted that many traditional sales markets for Russia were lost, and work on the remaining became much more difficult. In particular, the United States, Great Britain and Australia introduced high duties on Russian aluminum (270%, 35% and 35%, respectively), and in the European Union, key processors themselves refused to purchase Russian metal.

The association said that due to the stagnation of the economies of a number of Western countries and the slowdown in growth in Asia, as well as due to the metal surplus in global markets, competition for supply conditions has increased significantly. As a result, exchange prices for aluminum reached a record low since March 2021, and regional premiums to prices fell to a three-year low. ^[3]

Mishustin allocated 4 billion rubles for the extraction and processing of non-ferrous metals in Tuva

In September 2024, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order to allocate ₽4 billion for the implementation of projects for the extraction and processing of non-ferrous metals in Tuva. The funds are aimed at creating energy infrastructure, including the construction of overhead power lines for the mining and processing plant at the Ak-Sugsky copper-porphyry field, which a private investor plans to build. Funding was provided under the state program "Development of industry and increasing its competitiveness." Read more here

2023: Russia accounts for 10% of the world's lithium reserves

Accounting for Russia 10% of the world's lithium reserves. Such data are given in the report " Roscongressa The remaining charge: will the new economy have enough lithium," which is referred to on September 4, 2023. " RIA Novosti More. here

2022: Decline in zinc production by 6.9% to 182,000 tonnes

In 2022, 182 thousand tons of zinc were produced in Russia, which is 6.9% less than a year earlier. Compared to 2018, the market volume decreased by 29%. This is evidenced by the data of BusinesStat analysts released in May 2023.

The main reason for the decline in 2022 was the closure of the Electrozinc plant in Vladikavkaz. A fire in one of the workshops of the enterprise, which occurred at the end of 2018, led first to conservation, and then to the complete closure of the plant. Currently, the only zinc producer from zinc concentrate is Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant, whose production capacity is 200-210 thousand tons per year.

182 thousand tons of zinc were produced in Russia

The main volume of zinc consumption in Russia falls on the production of galvanized steel products and hot galvanizing of metal structures. Zinc is also used in the chemical industry, non-ferrous metal processing and other industries. In 2022, there was a decrease in demand from metallurgical enterprises producing galvanized steel.

As noted in the study, Severstal and Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works experienced a decrease in sales of galvanized steel in 2022. According to the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant, sales of galvanized steel remained at the level of 2021. The companies faced export restrictions from the EU countries and Britain, with the strengthening of the ruble and an increase in the cost of logistics, as well as a decrease in demand from domestic consumers due to the crisis in the automotive industry.

According to BusinesStat estimates, in 2022, as a result of the action of the described factors, zinc consumption in Russia decreased by 3.4%. A more serious drop in consumption was avoided due to an increase in demand from the construction industry, the researchers note.^[4]

2015: Non-ferrous metals scrap market in Russia grew by 18.4%

The volume of the non-ferrous metal scrap market in Russia in 2015 amounted to 3,122 thousand tons in physical terms, which is 18.4% more than in 2014. The main share in the non-ferrous metal scrap market is domestic production.

In 2015, 3,119 thousand tons of colored scrap were formed, which is 18% more than in 2014. The largest share in the volume of non-ferrous scrap in 2015 is occupied by waste and scrap of copper metals - 44%.

In 2015, the Ural Federal District is the leader in the overall structure of formed colored scrap - 35%.

The leading entity for the formation of non-ferrous scrap metal in 2015 was the Sverdlovsk region - 29%. In second place is the Samara region - 7%. In third place is the Moscow region - 5%.

In 2015, 3,132 thousand tons of non-ferrous scrap were used, which is 19% more than in 2014. The largest share of the use of non-ferrous scrap metal falls on the Sverdlovsk region - 29%. This is followed by the Samara region - 7%. Closes the top three Moscow region - 5%.

In 2015, a total of 359 thousand tons of scrap and non-ferrous metal waste remained in Russia. The leading constituent entity of the Russian Federation in terms of the number of scrap residues of non-ferrous metals in 2015 is the Ryazan region - 28%. This is followed by the Sverdlovsk region - 11%. The Republic of Mordovia closes the top three - 7%.

2012

According to the calculations of DISCOVERY Research Group, the volume of production of unprocessed aluminum by Rusal, which focuses on the management and ownership of aluminum production enterprises in Russia, in 2012 amounted to 4.17 million tons, which is 1.2% more than in 2011 (4.12 million tons of aluminum). In January 2013, primary aluminum production in Russia decreased by 5.3% in annual terms and by 0.8% compared to December 2012. Production growth was recorded at the Krasnoyarsk, Sayanogorsk and Novokuznetsk aluminum plants. The export volume in January-December 2013 amounted to 4.39 million tons. In 2012, the average price of aluminum amounted to $2053 per ton, in 2013 - $1897 per ton. Aluminum prices are expected to remain highly volatile in 2014 and fluctuate between $1.6 and $2,000 per tonne.

The volume of copper production by the Russian divisions of Norilsk Nickel, which accounts for 55% of the domestic copper market, increased to 90.3 thousand tons in the third quarter of 2013. The volume of copper output for 9 months of 2013 amounted to 268.8 thousand tons, which is 1% higher than the volumes of the same period in 2012. In 2012, according to Rosstat, the production of untreated zinc increased by 1.2%. In 2012, nickel production in Russia decreased by 3.7%.

According to DISCOVERY Research Group calculations, the volume of imports of non-ferrous metals to Russia in 2012 amounted to 138.3 thousand tons in kind and 674.5 million dollars in value terms. In particular, in 2012 imports of nickel amounted to 285.5 million dollars (30.6 thousand tons), copper - 114 million dollars (21.5 thousand tons), titanium - 76.6 million dollars (7.2 thousand tons), zinc - 46 million dollars (22.9 thousand tons). Imports of non-ferrous metals to Russia in January-October 2013 amounted to 136 thousand tons in kind and 589 million dollars in value terms.

The volume of exports of non-ferrous metals from Russia in 2012 amounted to 6.3 million tons in kind and 19662 million dollars in value terms; in January-October 2013 - 5.2 million tons and 16,738 million dollars, respectively. In particular, 10,789 million dollars (5.5 million tons) of aluminum, 5215 million dollars (307 thousand tons) of nickel, 3100 million dollars (400 thousand tons) of copper, 88.8 million dollars (47.8 thousand tons) of zinc were exported in 2012.

Notes